Programme notesJürgen Klopp: We've all looked forward to being back at home

The Reds return to their home stadium for the first time since November 12 and do so having resumed their Premier League campaign with a 3-1 away win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Among the positives at Villa Park, Mohamed Salah moved level with Sir Kenny Dalglish on 172 goals for the club, while Andy Robertson became the defender with the most assists (54) in the Premier League era.

Writing in tonight’s programme, which pays tribute to the late David Johnson on its cover, the manager also expresses his pride in those milestones and details how they complement the overall level his team are determined to produce.

“It is a bit of a funny situation because usually at this time of year we have lots of home games but this is our first since we played Southampton in mid-November,” says Klopp.

“The good thing is, this in itself is a reason for excitement and I know the players and all of the staff have been really looking forward to this moment.

“A lot has happened since we were last together, of course. To the players who represented their countries at the World Cup, I would like to congratulate them for doing so.

“Ibou Konate was part of the France team which reached the final and this is a major achievement even though he would have preferred a different outcome. Even so, all of the players who were involved should take great pride from playing in a World Cup.

“Although this season has been different, one of the things that has not changed has been our work ethic and the collective desire to be the best that we can possibly be which comes with it. This is why our training camp in Dubai was so important and I think we saw the benefit of the work we did in the friendly matches we played and also in our first league fixture after the break away to Aston Villa.

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“It is never easy to come back to playing after a break, especially when you are facing a real livewire of an opponent in front of a crowd that has its own reasons for excitement with a new manager in charge and a fresh start under way.

“This made the performance and the result especially pleasing and, as with any positive showing like this, the credit must go to the whole squad because the standards that were set both on the day itself and in the build-up to it were so high.

“Of course, a couple of our players reached incredible individual landmarks and I am a great believer that these moments should be acknowledged and celebrated.

“For Mo Salah to be talked about in the same sentence of Sir Kenny Dalglish, the legend of all Liverpool legends, speaks for itself. Best of all, I know Sir Kenny was at the stadium with his grandson to see Mo equal his goals tally and he could not have been more pleased for him. Again, that tells us everything we need to know about Sir Kenny.

“Andy Robertson also deserved the tributes that came his way for becoming the defender with the most assists in Premier League history. Again, this is a special achievement and one that he and we are very proud of. I used the word ‘individual’ and this is true in one sense because the records that Mo and Robbo have are their own, but the best thing about them is that they benefit the team and the club.

“This is where it becomes collective. The better we can do as individuals, in whatever role we have, the better we will do as a team.

“This applies tonight – especially tonight – because I know full well that Leicester will be wanting to strike back after a disappointing result on Boxing Day.”

Pick up a copy of the matchday programme at Anfield tonight or order online here.